Archive For

Legendary Glam-Punk rockers Jetboy are pleased to announce that the band has formed a strategic alliance with trueAnthem (TrueAnthem.com) in an effort to shift the paradigm of music distribution. The new format offered by trueAnthem allows for totally free access to artists music for download, thus decriminalizing the practice of file sharing.

“We make our music for the fans, that’s the bottom-line” says Billy Rowe, Jetboy guitarist. “Jetboy has been searching for a way to introduce people to our music in a cost effective way, and with trueAnthem, we’ve found the perfect vehicle”.

trueAnthem couples corporate sponsors with musical acts in an effort to bring the downloads to fans at no charge. Ten Jetboy songs, including hits like Feel the Shake, Evil, and Stomp it Down to the Bricks appear on the trueAnthem website courtesy of Orange County Choppers.

Based in San Francisco, Calif., trueAnthem is a unique, advertising supported, online music distribution, promotion and marketing company. As a music label for the modern ages, trueAnthem provides online and offline services to promote independent and undiscovered talent. The company’s success strategy leverages the viral nature of information distribution on the Internet to become a leader in the new world of music.

The members of Jetboy believe that a new distribution model is necessary for the music business as we know it to survive. “trueAnthem provides the perfect vehicle for bringing the music to our fans. History tells us that when people like what they hear, they’ll look for avenues to purchase the full albums, and better yet, come to see us play live” said Rowe. “It’s time for this industry to get back to what music is all about, making listeners feel good”.

Jetboy is preparing to play the Viper Room in Hollywood, California on October 16 with Gilby Clarke and Black Cherry.
Visit the bands website at www. jetboyrocks. com for additional information on upcoming shows.

Dean Guitars is proud to announce that guitarist extraordinaire, Michael Amott, of Arch Enemy and Carcass has signed on with Dean Guitars. Dean CEO, Elliott Rubinson states “I have been a fan of Michael for some time and we are extremely excited that he has decided to make Dean Guitars his home. Michael Amott is a very well respected guitarist worldwide and we look forward to working very closely with him to design his dream guitar.”

“I contacted Dean Guitars,” said Amott. “as I was looking for the right guitar company and I knew that if people like Michael Schenker, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag and Leslie West have made Dean their home that I needed to check it out. They sent me two V’s to check out and I immediately fell in love with them. I am sure my new signature guitar will meet all of my demands as well as the needs of my fans around the globe.”

Amott is currently doing a Carcass reunion world tour and will be back touring with Arch Enemy again in December. For more information, visit www.deanguitars.com

2008 has been a pretty good year for Tesla. They have released a new DVD, “Comin’ At Ya Live” and a new CD, “Forever More“. When the opportunity came up to interview Brian Wheat from Tesla, I couldn’t pass it up. Tesla has been one of my favorite bands for a very long time now. Brian and I talked about Forever More, the current Tesla tour and more. Check out the interview below. Enjoy!

HRH: I have seen Tesla live a couple of times in the last year on the Real to Reel Tour. Dave Rude is fitting in well with the band. How did you guys find Dave ?

Brian Wheat: Frank found Dave on myspace. It is pretty well documented that we were having problems with Tommy Skeoch. When it came to start looking for someone to replace him, Frank started looking at myspace, and people in the Sacramento area. Dave is from Oakland, California so he was pretty close by.

HRH: Do you still keep in touch with Tommy Skeoch?

Brian Wheat: No, I don’t keep in touch with Tommy at all.

HRH: Forever More is the first album with new studio material with Dave Rude. What
musical influences does he bring to Tesla?

Brian Wheat: Dave likes Guns ‘N Roses, Tesla and Motley Crue. A Lot of the new stuff out there he listens to as well. He is 30 years old. Frank is 42 years old, I am 44. He brings a younger spark, and a lot of positivity to the band. He is a great guitar player. We all wrote the songs together on this album. He has a positive attitude and money can’t buy that.

HRH: What are some of the circumstances the band was going through that inspired the songs on “Forever More”?

Brian Wheat: There was a lot going on. People coming to life changing decisions. The general gist is that we didn’t want to put up with any more bullshit. We just wanted to move forward. Just like the song “I Wanna Live”. I wanna live before I die and I don’t want the world to pass me buy. “Breaking Free” is we are done with the negativity, lets get on with positivity.

HRH: When Tesla prepares to record a new album how many songs do you usually go into
the studio with and what happens to the songs that do not make the albums?

Brian Wheat: We go in with ideas for songs with bits and pieces. We brought in Terry Thomas for this record. Even with the ideas that we had, he stripped them down to their basic form and we rewrote them all. In the end it came out great. While we were doing it there were some growing pains. When it was all said and done the results came out brilliantly. The songs that didn’t make it on the album were ideas that we didn’t finish.

HRH: Who came up with the art work for the album? Are there any stories behind it?

Brian Wheat: We have a guy that works with us Dwayne Serfass. Frank(Hannon) had this idea that he wanted to call the album Eternity, and none of us are eternal and none of us were too keen on that. We had a song on the album called Forever More which much means the same thing. Once we agreed on the theme, Dwayne found this photo of these two bodies buried in Pompeii that was 4000 years old. They were buried together embracing each other. The photo is called the “eternal embrace”. That is where the skeletons come from. It is a well noted photo.

HRH: What songs from Forever More will you be performing on tour?

Brian Wheat: We are playing six songs. We will probably play each of them at one point in time. I can’t tell you which ones. We have only been on tour for a week.

HRH: How long will you be out on the Forever More tour?

Brian Wheat: The better part of this year and see what evolves with this record. We will probably do 4 or 5 legs in America. We will hit Europe, Japan and Australia and see what is left. We want to play everywhere we can. We usually do a month on and 3 weeks off, that way we don’t burn ourselves out.

HRH: Tesla played in a couple of big rock festivals in the U.S. this year, The South Texas Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. What was your Rocklahoma experience like?

Brian Wheat: That was great. Those guys do a really good job on that. They keep expanding and keep coming up with new ideas. It was a really nice festival that was reminiscent of the festivals we have played in Europe. There are a lot of festivals in the summer there. It was good.

HRH: Will you be playing in any U.S. Music Festivals in 2009?

Brian Wheat: In America? I don’t know. The question is do we do Rocklahoma two years in a row or do we wait a year. That is kind of the question that has been posed. There may be a Texas Jam next summer.

HRH: There is a new festival called Rock Gone Wild that will be in Iowa next summer, that has 5 or 6 bands lined up to play so far.

Brian Wheat: That will probably be something that may end up playing.

HRH: Your new video for” I Wanna Live” came out really cool. Do you have plans to do any more videos for Forever More?

Brian Wheat: Yes, absolutely. We are doing a lot more stuff in house. We have our art department, we have our own recording studio, we have our video department. We are pretty self sufficient. If we want to do something we can do it. If we were in a situation where we were on a major label, that might not have always happened.

HRH: You are current on the road with Pop Evil. How has the tour been going so far? How did you meet those guys?

Brian Wheat: A guy that works radio manages them. George Capalini, he sent us a disc, and we liked it, and we put them on the tour. They are out there promoting their record, trying to bring in new fans and young fans. They are good guys.

HRH: What is the status of the Tesla box set?

Brian Wheat: The Tesla box set is currently on hold. Until we and Universal can come to a mutual agreement and understanding of the box set, it is on hold. We wanted to get it out by our 20th anniversary, maybe it will be the 25th anniversary. We just don’t know.

HRH: Is there any unreleased or cover material in the box set?

Brian Wheat: There is some stuff. I just don’t know if we are going release more cover stuff. We did two records of covers. The box set will be material with Tommy Skeoch. We did release some additional cover songs on iTunes on “A Peace of Time”. There were two or three covers. The version of “I Love You” and the Bread song (“Everything I Own”), those two came out really good. Lets hope that we all see the box set. It is kind of in Universal’s court right now.

HRH: Is it easier to get music out to the fans since Tesla now has their own label?

Brian Wheat: Yes and no. It is young. How does your music get out there? Is out on iTunes yet? You have to look for it. The way most people find out about music is the radio. Some stations still think Tesla is really relevant and some stations don’t. It is hard because you have to convince them that band still is relevant. I don’t think that wouldn’t matter with a large label, or our a label of our own. You can’t buy radio time, its against the law. You just have to go out and swing the bat you have.

HRH: Do you have plans to signing additional bands to your label?

Brian Wheat: No, Tesla Electric Company is just for Tesla.

HRH: A lot of bands are releasing their music as downloadable content for sale in the
video games Guitar Hero and Rockband. Any chance the Tesla catalog will be made
available this way?

Brian Wheat: Absolutely, yes.

HRH: In closing, do you have anything you would like to tell your fans?

Brian Wheat: Go out and buy the new record, I think you will enjoy it. Come out and see us this year on the Forever More tour, if we play in your city or a city near you.

That was the way the interview closed. Brian had another interview call to make and we were a little over on time. Brian was very cool and easy to talk to. I am looking forward to catching Tesla on the road on the Forever More tour!

If you haven’t picked up a copy of the new album, click on the cover below to place your order today!

The band Poets & Pornstars have issued the following bulletin on their myspace page:

Poets & Pornstars is now RUN DEVIL RUN!

To our Luscious Lovers and Dearest Diehards,

Many of you are already aware that we have decided to continue our seductive, adventurous ways under the name “Run Devil Run” and many inquiring minds must surely be curious to know the scoop. It’s simple really! When we parted ways with our former label earlier this year, we were given the freedom to continue our journey and create new, sexy Rock & Roll gems to make your heart pump and your body shake…which, in and of itself, deserves a nod to the gods!!! (go ahead…nod…it’s o.k….we did it too!). In that inevitable parting of ways however, the name “Poets & Pornstars” and all things related to it not living or breathing (which includes a certain myspace page) were retained by the label. So, with a passing tear, we wave goodbye to a name that has served us well, and look ahead at this exciting, new energy that we have created with a new member, a rockin’ new name and brand new songs just for YOU that’ll make even my GRANDMA jump out of her barca-lounger and shake it like she’s 19 again!!!

So what this means is that we’ll be continuing to bring you the SAME wild & rowdy live show we always have, and we’ve even stepped it up a notch or two! And the easiest way to keep in touch with us from now on is at our new page which is myspace. com/rundevilrunmusic . We welcome any and ALL to stop in, check out all the pretty new things, chat with us and while you’re there, add us and let us keep you up to date and come visit YOU sometimes as well! Under the circumstances we will no longer be available to answer messages or comments on the Poets & Pornstars myspace page, but we will continue our affair with each and every one of you on our new Run Devil Run page as we always have in the past.

Thank you so much for all of the continued support of our un-swaying Diehards and, as always…LISTEN. LOVE. TELL A FRIEND.
We love you all!
Xoxox
Sally, Randy, Jeremy, Dave, Domo

We’ve got a little bit of everything on tap for Hard Rock Nights tonight…new stuff from Extreme, Whitesnake, and Krokus…unheard of bands like Overloaded, M.O.B, and Armory…and some rare stuff as well. We’ve got a couple of songs that are only available online at the moment, Lynam’s “A Lifetime Ain’t Enough” and Babylon Bombs’ “Goodbye Good Luck.” We’re also going to check out an Ozzy track that was only available on the Japanese version of Black Rain. And of course, we’ll play some classics from bands like Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, and Poison. Don’t miss it!

Hard Rock Nights is broadcast every Saturday night from 9-11 pm eastern on classxradio.com. Check out the official HRN blog for playlists, articles, and a new interview with guitar wiz Erik Kluiber from Overloaded!

American rock icons KINGS X have announced plans to hit the road in further support of their latest acclaimed release, XV.

Following a successful national tour earlier this year with Extreme and the unique Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, bassist/vocalist Dug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor and drummer Jerry Gaskill will once again connect with their ever-loyal fanbase in a 14-city run.

Their fifteenth album, XV shows off the superior craftsmanship and
rock-solid chemistry that bassist/vocalist dUg Pinnick, guitarist Ty
Tabor and drummer Jerry Gaskill have displayed since their inception.

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY will film a new music video on Monday, October 13 in the New York/New Jersey area.

If you are interested in appearing in the clip, are at least 18 years old, are based in the New York/New Jersey area and are available for free, please send your picture and contact information to the following email address: cslcasting@gmail.com.

Back in the day when MTV used to play music videos, one video and song that would not get out of my head was “Balls To The Wall” by Accept. This song and video was a staple on the Headbanger’s Ball on MTV, and was a favorite of mine.

I finally got around to replacing my cassette tape with the remastered CD of Accept’s 1984 metal classic, “Balls To the Wall”. The remastered version was released in 2001and as a bonus, a couple of extra live cuts that were recorded in Japan in 1985 were added to the CD.

“Balls To The Wall” may be the song that everyone knows on this disc, but it isn’t the only good song on this CD by any means.

“London Leatherboys” may not be an instant classic, and does sound a little dated in 2008, but I still like it. “Fight It Back” is the type of stadium anthem that will have you throwing your fists in the air, and banging your head instantly.

“Head Over Heels” has a distinct hair metal sound to it, but is pretty good. I think the live version on this disc is even better than the original. I love the guitar solos on this song.

“Losing More Than You’ve Ever Had” is a mid tempo rocker that sounds like it could have been on a Motley Crue album. The 80’s metal influence on Accept is pretty obvious on this song. Listen to the bass rhythm on this song. It is very Nikki Sixx like. As a whole it is a very cool tune.

“Love Child” is another fist pumping, head banger with more excellent guitar work by Frank and Hoffmann.

“Turn Me On” reminds me a lot of mid 80’s Judas Priest. This is a really cool rocking tune that should have gotten more airplay.

Udo Dirkschneider’s vocals are so abrasive on the anthem, “Losers and Winners” it almost sounds like he is going to shred his vocals chords. (Some may say this is how he always sounds.) Either way it works. This is a killer tune.

“Balls To The Wall” is another enjoyable album by Accept. It is their most successful album to date, but I don’t think it is their absolute best. The more I listen to “Balls to the Wall”, the more I think that the over all sound on this record falls somewhere between the Scorpions and Judas Priest. The song writing might be a little suspect on this disc, but Udo’s distinct vocals push it over the top. Most metal heads will like it, and ought to pick it up.

1. Balls To The Wall
2. London Leatherboys
3. Fight It Back
4. Head Over Heels
5. Losing More Than You’ve Ever Had
6. Love Child
7. Turn Me On
8. Losers and Winners
9. Guardian Of The Night
10. Winterdreams
11. Head Over Heels (Live)
12. Love Child (Live)

More than a decade after its conception, Guns N’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” will finally see the light of day before year’s end, sources close to the situation confirms to Billboard. As first reported here, the set will be a Best Buy exclusive and will be available Sunday, Nov. 23, rather than the usual Tuesday.

Beyond enticing pre-Thanksgiving shoppers, the move is tied to the structure of Best Buy’s sales week, which runs from Sunday to Saturday. As such, “Chinese Democracy” would not be eligible to chart on The Billboard 200 until the week of Dec. 1, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In the run-up to release date, album track “Shackler’s Revenge” will debut in the video game “Rock Band 2,” while a portion of “If the World” is playing over the end credits in the new Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film “Body of Lies.”

In addition, GNR’s seminal 1987 debut, “Appetite for Destruction,” will be reissued on vinyl on Oct. 28 via Interscope.

The band’s last new studio albums were the simultaneously released “Use Your Illusion I” and “II” in September 1991. A covers set, “The Spaghetti Incident?,” followed in 1993, and featured some of the last GNR recordings from original guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.

THE ANSWER, an emergent and award-winning rock band from Northern Ireland, has been selected as the opening act for the imminent North American leg of AC/DC’s Black Ice World Tour. The itinerary kicks off October 28 at the Wachovia Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA and concludes on January 31 at Nashville Sommet Centre, Nashville, TN.

Highlights on the road also include dates at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on November 12-13 and The Forum in Los Angeles on December 6. Prior to the AC/DC shows, The Answer will perform a unique US debut club headline show at as part of the RED CMJ music festival at The Crash Mansion, New York on October 25. This will be a rare opportunity to savor the band’s first-ever thunderous and explosive headlining club gig before they head off to tour with AC/DC.

The Black Ice World Tour represents THE ANSWER‘s debut tour of America, and AC/DC’s first outing since ’01. THE ANSWER, whose mammoth sound is often compared to Black Crowes and Free, are fully primed for stadium and arena shows and in Europe, they’ve opened concerts for the Rolling Stones, the Who, Aerosmith and other legendary bands. In addition, the group has headlined tours in the U.K., Europe, Japan and Australia, where their first album Rise was released to great acclaim and sold over 100,000 units on the Australia and U.K.-based independent label Albert Productions.

Says lead singer Cormac Neeson, “It is an honour and privilege for The Answer to be offered the opportunity to support probably the greatest rock ‘n’ roll act on the planet. We are incredibly humbled.”

Coinciding with the tour, THE ANSWER will also make its North American recording debut with the November 11 release of Never Too Late, a 4-song EP and bonus DVD featuring previously unseen footage, live performance highlights and exclusive band interviews. Only available in North America, the limited-edition 2-disc title is on the independent label THE END RECORDS, with distribution through Sony RED. The EP opens with the title track “Never Too Late,” a song that originally appeared on Rise, and which will also be featured on Activision’s forthcoming release of the hotly anticipated game Guitar Hero®: World Tour (due 10/26). The EP will be available at all retailers, online outlets and digital.

Other tracks on Never Too Late include the live recording “Come Follow Me” and the slow blues burner “The Doctor.” The EP also gives fans a taste of THE ANSWER’s forthcoming new album with “Highwater or Hell,” a preview of what will be the band’s first full-length release in North America. Slated for an early 2009 street date on THE END RECORDS, the new album was recorded in summer ’08 at Los Angeles studio Seedy Underbelly with John Travis (Kid Rock, Static-X, Killing Heidi, etc.) producing. It was mixed in Los Angeles by Tim Palmer and in Vancouver by Mike Fraser (who recently did AC/DC’s Black Ice).

THE ANSWER is comprised of four friends, musicians and songwriters from Downpatrick, a country town some twenty miles south of Belfast: Cormac Neeson (lead vocals), Paul Mahon (guitar), Micky Waters (bass) and James Heatley (drums). The U.K.’s Classic Rock Magazine voted them 2005’s Best New UK Band at their prestigious Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards and called them, “The biggest new rock band of the decade.” Similarly, Kerrang! praised Rise as “the best British rock debut of the decade” and reviewed a U.K. live show by THE ANSWER as “F*@king stupendous.”

Get ready for THE ANSWER‘s invasion of America on October 28 as they hit the road with AC/DC!

THE ANSWER to open for AC/DC on their 2008 North American tour as follows: